Black Forest Dump Cake with Ice Cream

Ingredients

1 - 21 oz. can of cherry pie filling
1  - 16 oz. bag of frozen pitted sweet cherries thawed
1/2  - cup of sugar
1 -  box devils food cake mix
2 - sticks of butter sliced
1-  square of chocolate bark


Directions

Empty frozen cherries into a bowl and stir in the sugar, let the cherries thaw.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
In a 9 x 13 inch cake pan, spread the cherry pie filling evenly in the pan and then pour the thawed cherries, juice and all over top of the cherry pie filling.  Open the cake mix and sprinkle over the cherries lightly spread evenly over cherries and juice.  Do not mix into cherries!  Put all butter slices on top of dry cake mix.  The slices will be about ½ inch apart. Place pan in preheated oven and bake for 1 hour.  Serve warm with Ice cream.

To make the choc. curl shavings, I took 1 block of choc. bark and a vegetable peeler.

This is what the cake looks like as it comes out of the oven.

Easy Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts

1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts
½   slab  Applewood thick sliced bacon cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper


Wash and then trim off any loose or damaged leaves from the sprouts. Trim the root end and cut each sprout in half.
Cook the cubed  Bacon  in a large skillet  on med. Heat  Bacon just starts to get crispy. Transfer the bacon with a slotted spoon to a bowl and set aside.  In the Bacon grease add the Brussels  sprouts  flat side down in  the skillet and season with salt and pepper.  Stir a couple of times  and when Brussels are nice and roasted, turn down the heat to med.- low add ¼ cup of water and put a lid on cook for 15 min. or until tender. Then add the crispy bacon and stir and  transfer to a serving dish.

Calico Potatoes- Silver Dollar City style

                                                                                                                              
  Ingredients   

  olive oil
1  - diced onion         
1 -  diced green bell pepper
3  - russet potatoes thinly sliced                                                                                                                      2 - sweet potatoes thinly  sliced 
1 -  teas. Seasoned salt * I used country Bob`s  
1  - pd  kielbasa  sausage, cut into 1-inch slices 
2 - tablespoon water


Directions

1. Add olive oil to a large skillet. Preheat over medium heat until the  oil is just hot.  Cook the sausage. Add the diced onion and diced green bell pepper. Cook the onion and pepper until they're tender.
2. Add the unpeeled, sliced russet potatoes, the sliced sweet potatoes and water to the vegetables in the skillet. Sprinkle the mixture with the seasoning or seasoned salt.
3. Cover and cook over medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender, turning potatoes once or twice.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups butter
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
3 cups white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
6 eggs
3 cups cake flour
Directions
Preheat oven to 325 . Grease one bunt cake pan.
Cream together the butter, cream cheese, and sugar until light. Stir in the vanilla and the almond extracts. Add the flour and the eggs alternately, beginning and ending with the flour. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
Bake at 325  for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Sweet Potato Casserole

                                   1- large can of sweet potatoes drained and mashed
¾ - cup white sugar
2 - eggs beaten
1  - teaspoon vanilla
½ - cup milk
1 - stick butter melted
Pinch of salt

Topping

1 - cup brown sugar
1  - sm. Pkg. or half a cup of pecans
1  - cup of  flour
6 - tablespoons butter diced

 Heat oven to 350  degrees.

Mix all the ingredients of the casserole together and put in to a ( round w/lid) greased casserole  dish.

 To make the topping - in a med. bowl add half the diced butter, flour, brown sugar and nuts. Mix and spread on the sweet potatoes and bake for 30 min., then add the rest of the diced butter on top of the casserole and bake for 10 more min. and serve.
                                                                      

Iced Ginger cookies

2 cups of sugar

1-½ cups of coconut oil  or softened butter

2 eggs

½ cup of molasses

3 1/2 cups of self rising  flour

1 tablespoon of ground ginger

2 teaspoons of cinnamon

Extra sugar

White chocolate Bark


In a bowl, combine sugar and oil, mix well and add the eggs. Stir in the molasses, combine all the dry ingredients and add in slowly until mixed well.  Roll into ¾ inch balls, roll in sugar and place on  a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 10 to 12 minutes until just light golden on the bottom. Let cool  and place on wax paper and drizzle with melted white chocolate Bark.  I usually melt about 2 squares at time in the microwave  30  sec. a time  in a glass measuring cup till  melted.

White Chocolate Eggnog fudge

Ingredients:
3 cups of sugar
3/4 cup of butter
2/3 cup of  Eggnog
1- 7 oz. jar  of marshmallow creme
1 tsp. vanilla
1- 12oz. bag of white choc. chips
Directions:
Stir butter, sugar, and  eggnog into a heavy pan and bring to  a full boil, or 234  degrees with a candy thermometer stir constantly to prevent scorching! Remove from heat and stir in  chocolate stir until all chocolate is melted then mix in vanilla and marshmallow crème. Pour into a  buttered 8x8 baking dish, and cool at room temperature.

Zucchini Hash

1 large russet potato, or 2 medium, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 medium zucchini, or 2 small, chopped

Extra virgin olive oil, about 1 tablespoon
Pinch of salt
Coarse Pepper to taste

Dice the russet potatoes  onion and zucchini. In a large skillet add olive oil and potatoes  and fry  on med. High heat after the potatoes are halfway cooked add the onion  and the zucchini  and turn down to low heat and cover with a lid and cook for about 15 min, or until  zucchini is tender not mushy. Add  salt and  pepper to taste, stir, and serve.

Corn Pudding

Ingredients

1 can whole corn drained
1 can creamed corn
1 8 oz. container sour cream
1 stick softened butter diced
1 box jiffy cornmeal mix


- Mix  together  and put in a buttered 8 x 10  baking dish and bake at 350 for about 45 min. or until lightly golden brown.

Basic Chili

1 - pd. ground beef

1 - chopped yellow onion

3 - 16 oz.  light red kidney beans rinsed and drained

1 - 4 oz. can of tomato paste

1 - 16 oz of diced tomatoes

2 - heaping tablespoons of chili powder

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

In a large pot  put the ground beef and the chopped onion and cook until  meat is brown and add the chill powder, stir well. Then add the tomatoes ( do not drain the tomatoes)  red pepper flakes and the beans. Add about 3 cans of water and then add the tomato paste stir until tomato paste is mixed in well. Bring to a boil and turn down to simmer, put a lid on and simmer for about 30 min.

*notes
- If the chili is too thick for your taste add more water a little at a time
- If you would like  your chili to be more spicy add more chili powder a little at  time, because you can get too much.
-  Most people use tomato sauce, I prefer tomato paste because it makes the chili sweet and thick
- Always rinse and drain canned beans, it removes, fat, salt and gas : )

Corn Fritters

1 cup sifted flour

1 can whole kernel corn drained

¼ teaspoon sugar

1 tsp. melted butter

½ cup  milk

1 egg slightly beaten

- Mix in a med . Bowl, the flour and sugar together.  Beat in egg, butter and milk.  Add corn and mix well.  Drop by  spoonfuls in to hot oil.  (See notes * below.) and  fry till golden brown. Makes about  12 fritters. Serve them with  syrup.  They are delicious with  Breakfast food.


* for  a healthier oil option, I use coconut oil.

Chocolate Brownie Bundt Cake

For the cake:

1 cup cocoa powder, sifted, plus more for dusting pan
1 3.5 oz bar of Ghirardelli Twilight Delight 72% cacao chopped
1 cup boiling water
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
 2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
5 eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons cold  brewed coffee
1 1/2 cups coconut milk



Have all the ingredients at room temperature.  Preheat an oven to 350degrees F. Grease the Bundt Cake Pan and dust with cocoa powder; tap out the excess.  To make the cake, in a bowl, combine the 1 cup cocoa powder and the  chopped chocolate. Add the boiling water and whisk until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth and blended. Set aside. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside, in a large bowl cream the butter and sugar  and cold coffee together and slowly mix with the chocolate mixture until completely incorporated. Then start adding the  beaten eggs, once the eggs are mixed in, you can start adding the coconut milk and flour mixture, alternating between the two.  Slowly pour batter into your bundt cake pan, bake for about 45 minutes or until a knife comes out clean. When cake is done let the cake set for 15 minutes to cool and use a butter knife to loose the edges, and flip on to a cake plate.





For the icing

1 stick of melted butter ( not margarine )

6 tsp of milk

1 box of confectioners sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa

 Melt butter  in a sauce pan on stove and add milk, then stir in the sugar  and the cocoa a little at a time  until smooth then drizzle on the cake before it cools.

Parsley Potatoes

Ingredients:
1 ½ lb -  potatoes, washed, peeled and cut in half for smaller potatoes and into 3rds for large potatoes
2 tbs - butter, melted
2 tbs -  dried parsley
Salt


Preparation:
Boil the  potatoes until tender but firm
Drain and toss the potatoes with the melted butter, chopped parsley and  salt.
Serve warm

Turkey Meatloaf Burgers

Makes 10 burgers

 2 - pounds  ground Turkey  * note below
¼ - teaspoon  black pepper
1 -  med. size onion chopped
1 -  yellow or orange bell pepper diced
1 - egg beaten
1 - 15 oz can of diced  tomatoes drained
¾ - cup quick cooking oats

* Ground beef can be used also

Topping

½  - Ketchup
1/3 - cup of brown sugar
2  - tablespoon prepared mustard

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large bowl mix all the Meatloaf ingredients  ( using your hands works best )  roll the mixture into  tennis ball size balls and form into a patty  to the thickness desired. Place on baking sheet . I used 2 baking sheets and placed 5 patties on each. 

Topping.
Mix all the topping ingredients and spread on top of Meatloaf patties.

Bake for about 45 minutes.

Fried Okra

Ingredients

4 cups cut up okra                                                                                                                1 cup  cornmeal
2 tablespoons flour
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Vegetable Cooking oil, enough to cover okra completely in frying pan - see note *



* I used coconut oil for a healthier option and it did not change the flavor

Directions

1. Heat oil in large frying pan on medium heat. Use a pan large enough not to crowd the okra.
2. Chop okra into 1 inch pieces.
3. Beat egg lightly in a bowl and add the okra. Stir to coat okra with egg and let sit for 5 minutes.
4. Place the cornmeal, flour, salt and pepper in a separate large bowl and mix
5. Dredge the okra in the cornmeal mix to cover all sides of okra with mix.
6. Place one piece of okra in the hot oil and check that it immediately bubbles and sizzles. If not, the oil is not hot enough. Increase heat until you get the bubbles when adding one piece of okra.
7. If oil temperature is O.K., add all the okra
8. Cook the okra, stirring frequently to make sure it does not burn. Place on  a  paper towel to drain excess oil.

Old Fashioned Hermit Cookies

□ 2 c. flour
□ 2 tsp. baking powder
□ 1 tsp. cinnamon
□ 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
□ 1/4 tsp. cloves
□ 1/4 tsp. salt
□ 1/2 c. butter
□ 1/2 c. sugar
□ 1/2 c. brown sugar
□ 2 eggs
□ 1 c. raisins
□ 3/4 c. chopped walnuts
Sift together flour, baking powder, spices and salt. Cream butter, sugars and eggs together well. Blend in flour mixture. Add raisins and walnuts; mix well.
Drop by teaspoonful onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15
minutes or until lightly browned

Pumpkin Cake

3 cups of sugar

1 cup of melted coconut oil

4 eggs

2 cups of pumpkin

3 ½ cups of Self rising flour

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

2/3 cup of water

½ cup walnuts

½ cups raisins

 Mix together ingredients and bake in a greased and floured bundt cake pan at 350 for about 1 hour until a knife comes out clean.

For the icing

1 stick of melted butter ( not margarine )

6 tsp of milk

1 box of confectioners sugar

 Melt butter  in a sauce pan on stove and add milk, then stir in the sugar a little at a time  until smooth then drizzle on the cake before it cools.

Pumpkin Apple Butter

Makes 3 cups

1 - 15 oz. can of pure pumpkin 

1 - cup peeled grated apple

1 - cup apple juice

½ - cup packed brown sugar

¾ - teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Combine pumpkin, apple, sugar, apple juice, pumpkin pie spice in med. sauce pan.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 ½ hours.

Store in refrigerator for up to 2 months.  It also cans well.

Fried Apples and Cranberries

This  recipe was inspired from a dish I remember as a child, it is pretty common in the Appalachia`s for breakfast  and was served  with a plate of biscuits.
  I added cranberries and it is  now a holiday  favorite for my family.                                                                             Serves 6.
Ingredients

12 - Red Delicious Apples, peeled, cored, and cut into wedges   * notes

2 -  tablespoons  lemon juice

5 - teaspoons butter

½ -  cup light brown sugar

1 -  teaspoon cinnamon

½ - -cup of dried Cranberries

* notes…As you peel and cut the apples sprinkle them with Lemon Juice to prevent them from turning brown.

In a  large skillet melt the butter on med heat and add the apples.  Then add the brown sugar and the cinnamon, stir  all together and cover with a lid, cook for about 5 min. and  reduce the heat to med. - low add the cranberries cover again cook for about 10  more min. till apples are tender not mushy and serve warm.
Serves well Pork also.